1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a fuel additive composition. More particularly, this invention relates to a fuel additive composition containing a poly(oxyalkylene) hydroxyaromatic ether and an aliphatic amine.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is well known that automobile engines tend to form deposits on the surface of engine components, such as carburetor ports, throttle bodies, fuel injectors, intake ports and intake valves, due to the oxidation and polymerization of hydrocarbon fuel. These deposits, even when present in relatively minor amounts, often cause noticeable driveability problems, such as stalling and poor acceleration. Moreover, engine deposits can significantly increase an automobile's fuel consumption and production of exhaust pollutants. Therefore, the development of effective fuel detergents or "deposit control" additives to prevent or control such deposits is of considerable importance and numerous such materials are known in the art.
For example, aliphatic hydrocarbon-substituted phenols are known to reduce engine deposits when used in fuel compositions. U.S. Pat. No. 3,849,085, issued Nov. 19, 1974 to Kreuz et al., discloses a motor fuel composition comprising a mixture of hydrocarbons in the gasoline boiling range containing about 0.01 to 0.25 volume percent of a high molecular weight aliphatic hydrocarbon-substituted phenol in which the aliphatic hydrocarbon radical has an average molecular weight in the range of about 500 to 3,500. This patent teaches that gasoline compositions containing minor amount of an aliphatic hydrocarbon-substituted phenol not only prevent or inhibit the formation of intake valve and port deposits in a gasoline engine, but also enhance the performance of the fuel composition in engines designed to operate at higher operating temperatures with a minimum of decomposition and deposit formation in the manifold of the engine.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,134,846, issued Jan. 16, 1979 to Machleder et al., discloses a fuel additive composition comprising a mixture of (1) the reaction product of an aliphatic hydrocarbon-substituted phenol, epichlorohydrin and a primary or secondary mono- or polyamine, and (2) a polyalkylene phenol. This patent teaches that such compositions show excellent carburetor, induction system and combustion chamber detergency and, in addition, provide effective rust inhibition when used in hydrocarbon fuels at low concentrations.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,231,759 discloses a fuel additive composition comprising the Mannich condensation product of (1) a high molecular weight sulfur-free alkyl-substituted hydroxyaromatic compound wherein the alkyl group has a number average molecular weight of about 600 to 3,000, (2) an amine containing at least one active hydrogen atom, and (3) an aldehyde, wherein the respective molar ratio of reactants is 1:0.1-10:0.1-10.